


I never did believe in the ways of magic

by CherryFlan



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Dancing and Singing, Domestic Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Sign Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13229775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryFlan/pseuds/CherryFlan
Summary: They've never heard the other sing before.For theHaruRinHaru New Year's Exchange.





	I never did believe in the ways of magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prettyasexual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyasexual/gifts).



> Merry Harurinmas and Harurin New Year!! I tried to mash most of the prompts I got--some dancing, some singing, some mermaids (?) and even if I got a fill with inconsequential fluff I hope you enjoy it u/u
> 
> Cheers!

Cold winter, and Rin was up early, earlier than his usual routine. That meant his new ‘flatmate’ was also still asleep, allowing the morning all for himself. He didn’t realize he was waiting for this day as much as he feels it now, but he guesses it’s not a bad thing, making use of the bubbling hype inside him to finish his chores before going to work.

He readied himself with his police uniform before setting himself in the kitchen, his iPod–now turned on since he’s far away from the sleeping roommate–landing on a random song whose bassline made the redhead tap his feet to the rhythm and hum along when the vocals came.

♫ _Sweeeeeeet wonderful you_ ♫  
♫ _You make me happy with the things you do_ ♫

The chores stopped being chores when he was sliding through the kitchen and side stepping in a improvised dance with his stove, managing to not spill the boiling water when pouring in his mug with instant coffee or in his crystal glass with the tea bag for the blue-eyed (since he only had one mug).

_♫Ooooooohhhhh, can it be so♫  
♫This feeling follows me wherever I go♫_

With his hand still in the frying pan and a swing of his hips he sauteed for the last time the scrambled eggs, the food ending up directly onto his plate while the fish was still cooking aside. A mindful activity it was, even when the chorus was about to start with Rin singing along.

_“I never did beliiiiiiIIIII_ \-------bwhghg _Haru_?!?” he jumped in place just as he turned around, furious instant blush across his cheeks almost matching his hair. The other man simply kept his unimpressed face towards Rin’s juggling pan act, blinking away his drowziness. “H-hey, g’morning,” the redhead tried to recover poise “Why didn’t you call first, haha…”

Deep blue eyes looked at the redhead, moving his hands up to vision and motioning them to communicate in silence. 「You turned around first.」

“Haha, r-really?” Rin turned around at the feeling of being thoroughfully observed, trying to occupy himself again with the cooking. “Well, you’re just lucky–I’m almost done with breakfast” he brought the pan again over the fire to finish frying Haruka’s breakfast–grilled fish, obviously–while the blue eyed waited silently in front of the little kitchen counter that served as a breakfast table for them.

♫ _Dooooon't, don't break the spell_ ♫

The atmosphere was light and warm like a spring day in the current winter, even though Rin had stopped singing along the music still playing on his iPod and was consciously refraining himself from doing so (and failing when the plate serving was done to the rhythm). So even the usual dead-pan Haruka was infected with the good mood, curiosity beating the best out of him, rousing a question when his breakfast was put in front of him.

「Is something going on at your workplace?」

Some amusement came to Rin’s expression, thinking it was weird for Haru to ask such things. He fetched the newly toasted bread on a plate and put it on the counter between them, sitting across the other. “Yeah. Today we’re having a Christmas party in the school two blocks from the station. We’ve prepared some shows and stunts with the service dogs and such. It’s gonna be pretty neat.”

The blue eyed made a tiny and warm smile before signing the simple gesture of 「That’s good」, Rin responding with a smile of his own.「That’s why you were singing too.」

“A-ah… well… yes” he bashedly admitted, drowning his last hope of Haru being oblivious in spoonfuls of scrambled eggs.

「It’s a nice song」interrupted in silence, still referring to the previous song even when it wasn’t playing anymore.

“Yeah… It’s pretty old but it still rocks” he smiled fondly.

「You sing good too」Rin didn’t finish reading the signs before he started sputtering the coffee he was just drinking.

“Tell that to the karaoke machine” he mumbled to the mug in his hand, the blue eyed tilting his head in wonder. “Nevermind that!” he changed topics and focus, leaning himself on the counter, “You _merpeople_ sing pretty nice as well, right? But–” Rin smiled playfully “Do _you_ sing?”

The question seemed to have taken Haruka by surprise, but he pulled it off, finishing his sip of tea to free his hands.「 _Half fish_ 」he corrected first, the slight difference remarked in his signing. 「And yes, I have. Not in front of others.」

Rin smirked. “Isn’t that too bad, singing on your own? Who would tell you if you were doing it good then?”

Haruka frowned slightly, but he let himself play along in their usual back and forth. 「No need to. I know how it sounds. That is enough.」

“That’s just biased” replied as a matter of fact. “But hey, I could help you–! Wait, you did tell me that you can only be heard inside the water. So we just gotta pick a day, and then we’ll go to the sea” Rin beamed a smile that almost melted Haruka’s bantering facade, averting his eyes for a moment before signing again.

「Wouldn’t you be afraid? Leaving yourself open to be lured by mermaids’ songs to the sea, and never return.」

“Sure… but you’re a _half fish_ so no problem, right?” Haruka was going to respond but saw himself cornered by his own words, rising his hands in defeat.

The redhead celebrated his victory but only briefly, noticing that it was time to be at the Station. He left the half-fish man to finish his food on his own–his shift at the restaurant wasn’t until a couple more hours. But Haruka was left in deep thought and slight embarrasement, once again acting rashly by calling Rin to attention by grabbing him by the arm.

“Hm? What is it?” responded naturally, making Haruka now the one hyperaware. Luckily he didn’t had to rely on his voice, or it would have sound a little broken.

「Be honoured. You’ll be the first one to witness my singing. And the dancing fish. And the coral reefs…」the half-fish man trailed off a bit, casting his eyes downwards. It was a rare feeling in his chest, in his throat where his voice should sprout but doesn’t propagate if he’s not submerged in water. Haruka wanted to tell him so many things but only could do so much, briefly forgetting he couldn’t be heard when he mouthed what he really was feeling.

_“And many other sights…”_

Because wasn’t Rin the one that told him that you would want to show the things you love the most to the person you love the most?

Rin almost didn’t catch that, his now bright smile without any sneer towards Haruka’s true feelings. Moments of stillness like this were always treasured by both of them without prior accord, meaning it was time for the policeman to show his hands and speak without his voice.

「It’ll be my pleasure.」

* * *

It was time for Rin to leave to work. “We gotta set some things up first, but the actual show will be some time around mid morning. If you have the time you could go and check it out.”

「Will it have you singing?」

A scoff. “As if.”

「Then I’ll see what I can do.」

Rin was getting pissed off by Haru’s disinterest, but they both knew it was just for play, smiling it off and waving each other goodbye. Remembering something at the last moment, Rin stopped himself right at the entrance.

“…By the way. I’ve been meaning to ask–you’re neither deaf nor mute, so how come do you know sign language?” There was a slight moment of silence where the redhead tried to decipher the tiny change in Haruka’s expression, that slight eyebrow raise… “… _Oh_. W-well, _I_ know cuz it eventually was needed in my job” he gestured vaguely in mid-air to dismiss his reason, then gestured again, forming eventual words with his gestures. 「You?」

Haruka didn’t know exactly why but each time he saw Rin sign to him made him fuzzy inside, the same feeling as catching the glimpse of passion while Rin was singing and dancing along. Keeping his smile to a minute curve he answered, between the silence of both of them.

「We creatures of the sea know sign language. Most of us.」

“Huh?” he stopped squarely at the door, tilting his head in mild confusion and realization. Rin was probably going to accept that as-is, but he reason Haruka gave him afterwards would keep his mind busy for a while:

「A sea slug taught us.」

**Author's Note:**

> * The song is [You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNPQx_Bb2Fo).
> 
> * Some assign the birth of the Japanese Sign Language to Ebisu, the deity of fishermen that was born deaf and pressumably without arms or legs (or even the whole skeleton) just like a slug.


End file.
